The psychological battle between the females and Haidi｜Gorillas at Shanghai Zoo

📷 2025.11 (day 2 part 1)
📍Shanghai Zoo

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I went back to the zoo the following morning. During my second visit to Shanghai Zoo, I was able to see all the gorillas there. They appeared in the outdoor enclosures. In this episode, you’ll see Haidi and the females, Astra and Quenta. The females seem unsettled by Haidi’s presence and keep checking whether they can go indoors. In the following episodes, they appear more relaxed outside after Haidi goes back indoors. I hope you enjoy the video.

About Western Lowland Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Habitat: The most widespread gorilla subspecies, it can be found across more than 700,000 km² of Central and West Africa.
Lifespan: 35 yrs in the wild (up to 60 yrs in captivity)
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
It is the smallest of the four gorilla subspecies, which also include the Cross River gorillas, Grauer’s gorillas, and mountain gorillas. It has shorter black-brown hair, longer arms, and a more prominent ridge along its brow. The adult males, called silverbacks, have silvery-grey hair on their backs and thighs. Their heads are large and pointed, with a sagittal crest forming the back of the top of the head. Its population has been decreasing due to poaching and disease. The estimated population in 2013 was almost 362,000 individuals (IUCNredlist.org). Fewer than 150,000 western lowland gorillas remain in the wild (gorillas.org).

DANGO ♂ (丹戈)
1992/04/01 - 2025/03/15 [YYYY/MM/DD]
POB: Budapest Zoo, Hungary
Place of death: Shanghai Zoo, China
Cause of death: Sudden cardiac arrest
Sire: Golo (alive at Budapest Zoo)
Dam: Liesel (alive at Budapest Zoo)
Offspring: Haibei, Haidi (w/ Astra)
1992/04/01 - 2000/03/22: Budapest Zoo, Hungary
2000/03/22 - 2005/12/14: Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen, Germany
2005/10/14 - 2007/04/12: Rotterdam Zoo, the Netherlands
Dango was transferred from Rotterdam Zoo to Shanghai Zoo on April 12, 2007 together with Quenta and Astra.
He passed away on the morning of March 15, 2025, at the age of 32. The zookeepers were cleaning Dango's enclosure and feeding the gorillas after arriving at work when they suddenly discovered Dango's emergency and immediately notified veterinarians and other relevant personnel. Despite everyone's best efforts, Dango could not be saved. After professional pathological examination and comprehensive assessment by medical experts, Dango's death was confirmed as sudden cardiac arrest. (Source: https://www.jfdaily.com/staticsg/res/...)

QUENTA ♀ (昆塔)
DOB: 1990/07/09
POB: Zoo Zürich, Switzerland
Sire: Mamitu (dec'd on 2019/02/07)
Dam: N'gola (dec'd on 2025/04/07)
Offspring: None
1990/07/09 - 1995/09/20: Zoo Zürich, Switzerland
1995/09/20 - 2005/10/12: Saarbrücken Zoo, Germany
2005/10/12 - 2007/04/12: Rotterdam Zoo, the Netherlands
Quenta was transferred from Rotterdam Zoo to Shanghai Zoo on April 12, 2007 together with Dango and Astra.
Despite being infertile, she is of a very loving nature and raised Hibei.
She is the lowest rank in the group and is afraid of Haidi.

ASTRA ♀ (Astro / 阿斯特拉)
DOB: 1995/08/07
POB: Rotterdam Zoo, the Netherlands
Sire: Ernst / Earnie (dec'd on 2017/09/20)
Dam: Annette (dec'd on 2021/03/22)
Offspring: Haibei, Haidi (w/ Dango)
Astra was born and raised at Rotterdam Zoo, the Netherlands.
She was transferred from Rotterdam Zoo to Shanghai Zoo on April 12, 2007 together with Dango and Quenta.
She did not raise Haibei since it was her first birth. Qenta raised Haibei instead. She raised Haidi, her second son.
She is the elder half-sister to D'jeeco at Taipei Zoo, sharing the same father.

HAIBEI ♂ (Happy / 海貝)
DOB: 2008/02/17
POB: Shanghai Zoo
Sire: Dango
Dam: Astra
Offspring: None
Haibei is currently living alone, but the zoo is exploring the possibility of placing the brothers together as a bachelor group in the future. (Source: keeper talk during the zoo’s live video)

HAIDI ♂ (海弟)
DOB: 2012/05/17
POB: Shanghai Zoo
Sire: Dango
Dam: Astra
Offspring: None
During the daytime, Haidi is placed with the female group. During nighttime, he is separated from the female group as of November 2025.

References
Shanghai Zoo https://www.shanghaizoo.cn/
International studbook for western lowland gorilla Gorilla g. Gorilla Savage & Wyman, 1847
Gorilla Land https://www.gorillasland.com/

#WildlifeConservation #ZoosForConservation #EndangeredSpecies
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